Latest Update

Sorry, but the availability of the internet is virtually non-existent as has been the ability of a mobile phone signal…………….. hence no BLOG update since being able to tell you that we had arrived safely and were all OK.

We are now on the return journey from Marich en-route to an overnight stay in Lake Elementaita Lodge before heading for the Masai Mara.

Can’t believe that we have already been away from home for 7 nights and have only 4 nights reaming including the night flight back to the UK this coming Friday.

So what has happened so far…………

An uneventful journey over if you ignore the additional paperwork for swine flu (!!!!)and palava at the airport when we discovered that not only had the visa fee for under 16’s been waived but that they had also waived the need for a visa completely and the need for all the visa form filling had been a total waste of time!

From the airport we stopped for refreshments before heading north for Nakuru National Park. Before heading for the park we checked into our accommodation at Lake Elementaita Lodge. Here we rested, had a hot shower or bath and were treated to a buffet lunch. Although the main courses did not suit all palates those that were still hungry topped up on the array of desserts and sweets on offer…………….. no one went hungry.

We finally headed for the park some 2o km further north and headed for the KWS HQ in order to buy our tickets. Karibu Kenya as they say………. This simple exercise took virtually two hours as letters of authority were verified with Nairobi, negotiations were completed and bureaucracy and red tape gone through. Then it was another drive to the park gates where we had to complete more paperwork before we were finally admitted to the park just two hours before it closed!

The main reason for visiting Nakuru were for us to see the world renowned flaming goes and Rhinos, both white and black species, which are more numerous in Nakuru than at the Masai Mara. We were not disappointed on either front as we spent a lot of time by the side of the lake photographing the flamingos and not log afterwards we saw both species of rhino with the white rhino being relatively close to the road and easily snapped by all. We also saw Pelican, Zebra, buffalo, gazelle (Thompsons and Grants), impala, baboon, vervet monkey, rock hyrax, water buck, dik dik and so on and so forth.

At kicking out time we returned to the lodge at Lake Elementaita, freshened up and headed for dinner. Again there was more than plenty to eat and a reasonably wide variety of choice for all and so nobody went hungry even if that did mean topping up the reserves with the desserts and sweets buffet!!!!

After dinner there was a short, traditional Maasai Dance which some of the students joined in before retiring to bed at a relatively early hour/////////////// everyone, students and adults alike, were understandably exhausted.

The following morning we had a lazy start with a filling breakfast before hading still further north to the main focus of our trip – Marich Pass Field Studies Centre some some 230 miles ahead of us.

The road between Nakuru and Eldoret is being rebuilt and so there was much detouring and alternating between off-road and newly laid tarmac. We stopped at the equator for a Kodak Photo Opportunity before continuing to Eldoret for a refuelling stop and lunch.

Here we experienced our first tropical downpour but fortunately we were all on the vehicles at the time. Also it was here that I made my first BLOG despatch!

From here it was onwards to Kiitale which we drove straight through without stopping as wee were behind schedule and desperately wanted to reach Marich before dark and we were cutting it very fine…………. An understatement if ever I heard ONE.

We refuelled at Makutano hich is near Kapenguria which is the place where Jomo Kenyatta, the first President of post colonial Kenya, was imprisoned for alleged involvement in the Mau Mau uprising against the Colonial oppressors during the q1950’s and early 60’s. His cell, and those of his conspirators are now maintained by the National Museums of Kenya.

From here we talked the last 45 miles over atrocious roads which have been poorly, if at all, maintained since the Dutch constructed the road in the 70’s.

In spite of all this we managed to reach our goal just before dusk on Thursday evening and fortunately just before the Heavens opened for a spectacular downpour like nobody had seen before. Luckily all participants had got there belongings under cover and it was only drowned rats hat had to trudge through the mud in order to get there dinner from the restaurant………. No chance of alfresco dining that night! The meal itself was spaghetti and sauce with eith paw paw/papaya or mango to follow.

Lights out much to the student’s displeasure was 9 pm. Unfortunately we had arrived too late for anyone to really get there bearings and so it was not until the next morning was anyone able to take in and appreciate the full beauty of where we were going to be staying forv the next 4 days.

After a nutritious breakfast of eggs, toast, tea/coffee we attempted the first part of our itinerary – the walk along the old colonial road. The heat was too much for some and so we sent for transport when only half way through the walk and were driven back to the Field Studies Centre.

Here we had lunch before walking to the school within the grounds of the centre which we have helped to build and more recently where we have raised money to sponsor a student with SEN to be taught in Eldoret.

We took with us a number of tennis balls aand a parachute game which were just somec of th thingsd that had been donated to the school by some generous individuals and businesses back in the UK and which we had carted with uss from Stalham contained in some 17 boxes.

Firstly we were shown around the school and here it was explained that the students for about 3 pounds for 3 months are educated, clothed and fed once a day and that some parents can’t even afford this meagre sum! This started our students to do a little soul searching and thinking about what is important in life.

It was here that some of our students commented that the school children have so little yet they are so much happier than we are

We spent the best part of the afternoon with the students. Games were played, congas were formed, dances performed, songs sung, friendships formed and in some cases many tears were shed by those students who were starting to take on board the grim reality of life that most people in West Pokot face on a day to day basis.

It was extremely heart warming to see some ( a lot) of our students make the connections between their lives and lives of children of a similar age and how different their lives are.

Hundreds of photos were taken of presentations of gifts, games played and the students singing a song that had been specially written to welcome us to their school. We also made the presentation of the cheque of the funds raised during the recent Africa Week held at Stalham High School.

We had a small storm late that afternoon but nowhere near the level of the previous night’s tempest and then it was time for a wholesome dinner followed by bed at 9 pm (!9:00 hrs UK time!!!!!0.

On Saturday after a routine early wakening at 7 am followed by a standard Marich Pass breakfast of eggs and toast and coffee/tea we drove towards Tikeet on the Masol Plains where another project funded by Marich Pass is on the go. Here there is a partially completed Health Clinic (See BLOG Links) which will include, when finished, both in-patient and out patient buildings which will dramatically improve the health and welfare of he people of the area who currently have to travel miles even for their basic medical needs!

The journey was not uneventful in that eroded gullies had to be filled in order to cross them and one sizeable river had o be forded! However we finally achieved our goal, took the inevitable pictures, greeted those Pokot who had come to see us and then wended our merry way back the way we had come and then headed for the traditional market at Lomut.

This market was in full swing by the time we arrived around noon. It is a bustling market and much busier now than I remember it in the past but it still retains the feeling of a traditional market that have taken place for generations and centuries.

We only stayed for about an hour as there is little to buy and the students felt a little overwhelmed by he attention they received……… white faces are a novelty as they are rarely seen in this area and the local Pokot are naturally inquisitive of us and didn’t we know it. It was a case of who was watching who and I think we lost!.

We returned to Marich with a few trinkets and a couple of lengths of sugar cane extra to our starting weight.

After lunch it was decided to go for a gentle stroll from the Field Studies Centre to the look-out viewpoint behind the Marich Primary School. This was a gentle amble uphill for about 15 minutes. The walk was well worthwhile and I don’t think one student was disappointed by what they say………… just pure natural beauty which is more than aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

We were joined by some of the students fro the school who we had first met on the Friday who had made their way up to us by scaling a virtually vertical crumbling rock face…………. Clearly no H & S rules in Marich! Both sets of students then engaged in in spontaneous games for the next half hour before we dragged them back to the Centre for shower time and a well earned dinner.

Have now typed for almost two hours from Makutano to Eldoret and the Internet Café looms and so will finish this entry HERE and will update as soon as I can for Sunday and Monday!